Habanero peach jam isn’t for your morning toast, it’s for the cocktail hour ~ with some fluffy cream cheese and a crisp cracker, it’s positively irresistible. (It’s a well documented phenomenon.)
habanero peach jam is a sweet hot sensation!
As far as I’m concerned, the world falls into two camps, those who love hot pepper jams and jellies, and those who are still living in the dark ages. If you’ve never had the pleasure then you’re in for an experience.
The beauty of these small batch recipes is that they encourage spontaneity. They are so quick and easy you can whip up a small batch any time you get the urge. I had a bag of about 8 peaches from the farmer’s market, and that yielded four 1/2 pint jars. I’m completely hooked.
habanero peach jam is perfect to make when you only have a few peaches
This small batch refrigerator jam is so powerfully flavored that a little goes a long way. One jar will transform a plate of cheese and crackers into a party. You will definitely make converts of any of your friends who haven’t tried it before. By the way, this jam makes a great host/hostess gift, too.
what you’ll need
- peaches
- habanero pepper
- sugar
- lemon
Peel your peaches and slice them up, you’ll need equal amounts of fruit and sugar for this recipe. The sweetness helps of offset the heat of the habaneros and makes for that crazy good sweet/hot phenomenon.
I must have grabbed two different varieties of peaches by mistake because when I peeled and sliced them they were different colors…pretty!
habanero tips and faqs
A habanero pepper is 100 times hotter than a jalapeño, but 10 times less hot than a ghost pepper. It’s a super hot pepper that’s not overpowering, in my opinion. Just use common sense and caution!
It’s a good idea, because the very spicy capsaican oils in the peppers can burn sensitive areas of your body like your eyes, nose, and under fingernails. Be sure to wash well after working with the peppers as well, and keep away from kids and pets.
It’s hot, I’m not gonna lie, but it’s not crazy hot. So don’t worry too much about the heat; once it’s cooked into the jam its bark is worse than its bite. I find that the sweetness counters the heat a bit.
cook’s notes habanero peach jam
- I considered adding a bit of cider vinegar to this batch, but didn’t. I would like to try that next time to see how it affects the flavor. This jam is perfectly sweet/hot, but I would like to try a touch of vinegar to give it a tangy edge as well. I would maybe start with just a few tablespoons, especially with such a small amount of peaches.
- If you’d like to make extra you can freeze the jam for up to 3 months, just be sure to leave some headspace at the top of your jars to allow for expansion as it freezes.
- Don’t run out of cream cheese or crackers or you’ll be sorry…
I will be making this again for my third time.. just has such wonderful flavor! We use the jam as a glaze for grilled salmon. Thin it down with balsamic vinegar and then glaze the fillet and broil. It’s really tasty! Will be making the nectarine habanero jam next 🙂 ~Jill
Habanero Peach Jam
Equipment
- 4 half pint jars
Ingredients
- 21 ounces peeled and pitted peaches, (2 pounds fresh peaches)
- 2 habanero peppers, seeds and all, finely minced
- 2 3/4 cups sugar
- juice of 1 lemon
Instructions
- Put your jars through the hot cycle of the dishwasher to clean. You can reuse the glass jars, but always purchase new lids for each new batch of jam. This is to ensure that they seal properly. (They sell extra lids right next to the jars in the grocery store.)
- Peel and slice your peaches over a bowl, to catch the juices.
- Weigh the peaches and then weigh out the same amount of sugar.
- Put the peaches, sugar, habanero peppers and lemon juice in a large heavy bottomed pot. Stir to combine everything and mash the peaches a bit with a large wooden spoon or potato masher.
- Let sit for an hour.
- Bring the mixture to a boil, and boil for approximately 20-30 minutes, stirring frequently. It will foam up for most of the time, and eventually, when the jam is nearly ready, the foam will die down.
- Check to see if the jam is ready by dropping a small amount on a very cold plate. When it is ready it will jel as it cools on the plate.
- When you are satisfied with the jelling, ladle the hot jam into clean jars, filling almost to the top. Put the lids on, but don’t screw them too tightly, and immediately set the jars upside down.
- Let the jars cool, and then turn them right side up and refrigerate.
Nutrition
I would like to make these for Christmas presents do you think i could use frozen peaches?
Yes, that would be fine.
Do they have to be refrigerated
Yes, any jam that isn’t water bath canned will need to be kept in the fridge.
I just made with frozen peaches and its so good I could cry!! I did thaw them first. Worked like a charm.
Haha, I know just what you mean! Glad you loved it Amanda.
Can you water bath them?
No, this recipe is formulated to be a refrigerator jam, and needs to be consumed within a month. You can freeze it for longer storage.
Can you water bath can, instead of using the refridgerator?
No, this recipe is formulated to be a refrigerator jam, and needs to be consumed within a month. You can freeze it for longer storage.
It is not safe to invert jars. Jam should be water bath canned or simply refrigerate. This recipe is not shelf stable.
They’ve been making jam this way for generations in Europe, but you’re right that here in the US it’s not considered advisable.
I will! Thank you so much for such a super quick response!
I’m getting ready to make this but I’m nervous about not throwing the pectin in
Can I just use pectin anyway? I do intend to water bath them as well so they last longer
As I did with my strawberry and apricot. I will post my results but was wondering what you thought about me using pectin?
You can use it if you like, there’s no harm in adding it Donna. Keep us posted on your results!
I made this jelly this afternoon. It is so tasty! I have to tell you I didn’t measure correctly but I cut up 2 1/2 big peaches….used about 5 hot banana peppers and a reeper pepper. I left seeds in. I used 6 cups of sugar and 1/4 box of pectin and I added 1/2 cup of vinegar! The flavor is amazing and I’m sorry I changed the recipe some but thankful you posted it! I used a candy thermometer and cooked it to 221 degrees. It’s not real set up but kinda like a sauce. The taste is like cinnamon candy. The burn is subtle and just lingers on your toungue as if eating a cinnamon sucker! I was afraid to not use any pectin.
This looks AMAZING and since my Rotary Club has a Peach Sale Fundraiser, I’ve been rolling in peaches from Colorado’s Western Slope in August for years and years. So, how can I adapt this to sealing the jars for non refrigerator storage, please?
This recipe wasn’t formulated for canning, but if you choose to can, you would ladle into sterile jars and allow ¼ inch head space. Cap and seal to finger tight. Process for 15 minutes in a water bath canner. Adjust for altitude, if necessary.
Thank you for the recipe. When you say heavy bottom pot do you mean cast iron? What’s the best type of pot to use?
I like to make jam in any kind of pot that has a thick bottom so the jam doesn’t scorch as it cooks. Aluminum or enameled cast iron is what I usually use. If the pan is very flimsy or lightweight it won’t be as good.
I must have had the heat up too high when boiling and scorched the bottom of the pan. The jam turned out a little dark…but still absolutely delicious!
Especially at the end you’ve got to watch jams like a hawk, sorry about that, but glad you salvaged it!
Why turn the hard upside down?
Turning the jars upside down when hot just helps seal the jars. The Europeans can their jam this way, but I still store them in the refrigerator and eat within a month.
This recipe doesn’t call for any pectin? It doesn’t end up too liquidy?
With this type of jam you will cook it down until it gets thick, so no pectin is added.